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Federal New Deal programs of the 1930s and World War II are often credited with transforming the South, including Texas, from a poverty-stricken region mired in Confederate mythology into a more modern and economically prosperous part of the United States. By contrast, this history of Northeast Texas, one of the most culturally southern areas of the state, offers persuasive evidence that political, economic, and social modernisation began long before the 1930s and prepared Texans to take advantage of the opportunities presented by the New Deal and World War II. Walter L. Buenger draws on extensive primary research to tell the story of change in Northeast Texas from 1887 to 1930. Moving beyond previous, more narrowly focused studies of the South, he traces and interconnects the significant changes that occurred in politics, race relations, business and the economy, and women's roles. He also reveals how altered memories of the past and the emergence of a stronger identification with Texas history affected all facets of life in Northeast Texas. Walter L. Buenger is Associate Professor of History at Texas A&M University.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This work is a bold step for Texas history. Not only does it advance a fascinating and convincing new argument concerning the forces that shaped Texas history during this era, it also delves into economic and social questions that have remained untouched by past studies... This book has the potential for a wide general readership among those interested in Texas history." -Carl H. Moneyhon, author of Arkansas and the New South, 1874-1929

Review

This work is a bold step for Texas history. Not only does it advance a fascinating and convincing new argument concerning the forces that shaped Texas history during this era, it also delves into economic and social questions that have remained untouched by past studies. . . . This book has the potential for a wide general readership among those interested in Texas history. (Carl H. Moneyhon, author of Arkansas and the New South, 1874–1929)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

It's our hope this book will find a wide audience among those who enjoy readable history. The period and region has never been covered so thoroughly and in such enjoyable detail.The book was ten years in the making and if there was anything uninteresting in the manuscript - it's not there now. Buenger examines the ties between Southern romanticism and Texas nationalism and how one bolstered the other. Myths are exposed through a quiet presentation of facts and anecdotes.The symbolism, psychology (and funding) of the various Confederate monuments in the region - the most costly and elaborate in Texas are explained. If anything, the book create a curiousity to visit the (relatively) forgotten region of Northeast Texas.The tables are clear and the maps are superb in their Spartan clarity. It's a valuable reference and it's also a book we can see being taken on vacation.